WASHINGTON, March 13, 1863.

Lieutenant-Colonel LUDLOW, Agent for Exchange of Prisoners.

Western prisoners cannot be delivered at Vicksburg. Orders will be given immediately for their delivery at City Point. Have written to you about them.

W. HOFFMAN,

Commissary-General of Prisoners.

OFFICE COMMISSARY-GENERAL OF PRISONERS,

Washington, March 13, 1863.

Lieutenant Colonel W. H. LUDLOW,

Agent for Exchange of Prisoners, Fort Monroe, Va.

COLONEL: Your letter of the 11th instant is just received. I return herewith the list* of Confederate officers and men sent you by Mr. Ould, accompanied by explanations showing where they are and why they are still held. Those who have been exchanged have not been delivered at Vicksburg because of the impossibility of reaching that city whilst operations are being carried on against it. I have sent instructions to Camp Chase to forward all exchanged officers and men who may be held there by any route which the commanding general of the Department of the Ohio may point out as practicable. To-morrow or next day I will order all the enlisted prisoners at the Western stations and all officers already exchanged to be forwarded for delivery at City Point. Guerrillas will be included and I will cause separate rolls to be prepared for them as you requested. There are some rebel officers who have been exchanged still in our hospitals who will be sent South as soon as they are able to travel. Mr. Innerarity is here and will go down on the steamer for exchange. Washington Barrow of Tennessee, a gentleman of standing and influence in his State and formerly in Congress, is here on parole and will be sent forward for exchange. On January 12 Dr. Alfred Hughes left here on parole for thirty days to proceed to Richmond to effect the release and exchange for himself of Mr. Samuel A. Pancoast. Since then I hear nothing of him except that MR. Pancoast remains in prison while he remains at Richmond in violation of his parole. Call Mr. Ould's attention to the case and insist that Mr. Pancoast be immediately released. Gideon S. Bolton was paroled by Mr. Ould for thirty days to effect an exchange for John McDowell, Hampshire County, Va., who was at the time on parole from Camp Chase. I ordered him to be sent here immediately, but he has not yet arrived. I learned to-day where he can be found and dispatched a messenger for him. Mr. Bolton will go down on the boat to consult you as to what he had better do. I have not been able to get a letter to Mr. S. J. Anderson as I have not his particular address in New York. I believe it is on his letter which I referred to you. I inclose herewith a number of individual applications* for the release of prisoners at Richmond. Some of them I know have already been brought to your attention. The rolls of the prisoners to be sent from here are not yet completed nor have the prisoners expected from Sandusky arrived. I shall write you further before the boat leaves. Remember to call Mr. Ould's attention to the fact that

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* Not found.

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23 R R-SERIES II, VOL V